Dose-Dependent Modulation of Mitochondrial Network Dynamics by a Novel RNS-Dominant Gliding Arc Plasma

Gliding Arc Plasma (GAP) is a non-thermal plasma source capable of producing a rich milieu of Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS), which play pivotal roles in redox signaling and cellular regulation. This study systematically investigates the dose-dependent effects of GAP treatment on mitochondrial network morphology across multiple cell types (SH-SY5Y, BV-2, and U2-OS). Through optical emission spectroscopy and biochemical assays, we confirmed that GAP primarily generates RNS in the liquid culture medium. We discovered that a low-dose GAP treatment (1 min) induces a reversible mitochondrial fragmentation, with the network structure fully recovering within 24 h. In contrast, a high-dose GAP treatment (3 min) leads to irreversible mitochondrial damage, characterized by excessive fragmentation and swelling. These findings establish GAP as a novel physical modality to actively modulate mitochondrial dynamics, highlighting its potential as a controllable tool for research in mitochondrial.